Surface supported friction cap remover



Feb. 20; 1951 sPRAKER 2,542,295

SURFACE SUPPORTED FRICTION CAP REMOVER Filed Oct. 19, 1946 INVENTORA/w/vcswu M. SPIPH KEA? BY MYW ATTORNE 5 Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SURFACE SUPPORTED FRICTION CAP REMOVER The presentinvention relates to devices for removing closure caps from glass jars,bottles and other containers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device ofthis character which is simple in construction, and which is capable ofeasily and quickly effecting removal of closure caps without danger ofbending or otherwise distorting the cap or breaking the glass jar orother container.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the device, in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device shown attached to the underside of ashelf or other support with a glass jar, and a bottle such as a ketchupbottle, in position to effect removal of their caps, the bottle and thejar being shown by dotted lines;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional plan views respectively taken on the lines33 and 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of thedevice;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the same; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 11 of Fig. 5.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings may be madeof a single strip of sheet metal, and has a horizontal portion 2 whichis adapted to be secured by screws 4 to the underside of a shelf orother support 6, the screws passing through apertures 8 in said portion.The

ends of the horizontal portions 2 are bent downwardly to provide uprightportions I 0 and [2. At the lower end of these portions are outwardlybent lips 14 and i6, respectively.

The end of the device having the lip I4 is particularly adapted forremoving the cap I8 of a vacuum sealed glass jar 20, or other containerthat is provided with a shallow cap such as hottles having crown caps.The other end of the device is particularly adapted for removing the cap22 of a ketchup bottle 24, or other container having a similar cap.

The edge of the lip I4 is curved to conform generally with the curvatureof the neck of the jar 26 or other container to be opened thereby. Theedge of the lip I6 is curved to conform generally with the curvature ofthe neck of the ketchup bottle 24 or other container to be openedthereby. The upright portions Ill and I2 may be transversely curvedcorrespondingly to the edges of the associated lips 14 and IS. Thecenter of the edge of the lip I4 is spaced from the upright ID adistance slightly less than the distance from the outer edge of theskirt of the cap to the adjacent portion of the neck of the container20. The center of the edge of the lip I6 is spaced from the upright 12 adistance slightly less than the distance between the outer side of thelower edge of the cap 22 and the neck of the container 24. The lip 14 isspaced a slightly greater distance from the underside of the shelf orother support 6 than the height of the cap l8. The lip I6 is spaced aslightly greater distance from the underside of the shelf 6 than theheight of the cap 22.

With this construction, to remove the cap 18 from the jar 20, the jar ispositioned with the lower edge of the cap engaging the top side of thelip l4, and with the outer side of the lower edge of the skirt of thecap engaging the upright Hi. When thus positioned, upon applying anupward and outward forcing movement to the lower end of the jar so as tocause the jar to be swung about the point of engagement of the top ofthe cap with the underside of the support 6, the cap may be easilyremoved from the jar.

It will be noted that during this prying oil movement, the transverselycurved upright ID by being engaged by the outer side of the lower edgeof the skirt of the cap serves as a guard to effectively prevent theneck of the jar, as the jar is pried from beneath the cap, from strikingthe lip, which in the case of glass jars would be liable to result inbreaking or chipping of the glass. Also, owing to the wide area ofengagement of the lip l4 with the lower edge of the cap, and the factthat the top of the cap during this movement engages the flat surfaceprovided by the underside of the shelf, the removal of the cap may beeffected without bending or otherwise distorting the cap, so that thecap may be replaced on the jar for rescaling purposes. The engagement ofthe side of the cap with the curved upright assists the correspondinglycurved lip in holding the cap and jar in proper position during theremoval of the cap. Because of the ease in thus efiecting removal of thecap and the minimum amount of movement of the jar required, although thejar as initially held in vertical position and during removal of the capis tipped at an angle, the removal of the cap may be accomplishedwithout danger of spilling the contents of the container.

It will be apparent that the cap 22 may be removed from the bottle 24 bymeans of the end of the device that includes the prying off lip H5 inthe same manner as in the case of the removal of the cap from the lassjar 2|].

The form of the device illustrated in Figs. 5

and 6 also may be made of a single strip of sheet metal. This device isprovided with a horizontal portion 26 having its ends bent downwardly toprovide upright portions 28 and 30 which have their inner ends bentinwardly or toward each other to provide lips 32 and 34. The lip 32corresponds to the lip I4 'of the device first described, and the lip 34corresponds to the lip 15. The upright portions 28 and 30 may betransversely curved correspondingly to the edges of the lips 32 and 34.The device may be secured to the shelf 6 or other support by means ofscrews 36 that extend through apertures in the horizontal portion 26,the heads of the screws being countersunk so that their outer surfacesare flush with the underside of the horizontal portion 26.

With this construction, the cap may be removed from a jar correspondingto the jar 20, upon positioning the jar with the lower edge of the capextending over the lip 32, and with the top of the cap engaging theunderside of the horizontal portion 26. The cap may be removed from abottle, such as the bottle 24, by means of the lip 34 in a similarmanner.

In the several forms of the device, the points 3'! of the lips arepreferably tipped or bent slightly upward (approximately /32 of an inch)to permit them to engage the turned under edge of the cap. This not onlyinsure-s maximum engagement of the lip with the cap but also tends tohold the cap in engagement with the opener so as to prevent thecontainer from slipping out of, or away from, the opener when pressureis applied. Thus the points serve to assist the curved lip and thetransversely curved upright 111 maintaining the cap in proper engagementwith the opener durin the prying ofi operation. This feature isparticularly advantageous in the case of vacuum sealed glass jars toensure removal of the 'cap without danger of distorting it by bendmg.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art my invention permitsvarious modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for removing closure caps from jars, bottles, or the like,comprising a member adapted to be secured to the underside of a shelf orother support, having an upright portion and a laterally projecting lipat the lower end of said portion havin its outer edge curved to conformgenerally with the curvature of the neck of the container to be openedand having its central portion spaced from said upright portion adistance less than the distance between the outer side of the lower edgeof the skirt of the cap and the adjacent portion of the neck of thecontainer, whereby the cap may be removed from the container uponpositioning the container with the top of the cap engaging a flatsurface spaced from the upper side of said lip a distance slightlygreater than the height of the cap and with the lower edge of the skirtof the cap held against the top side of the lip, and forcing the lowerportion of the container outwardly, said upright portion by theengagement of the side of the cap therewith serving as a guard toprevent the end of the jar striking the lip as the cap is I removed.

A device for removing closure caps from jars, bottles or the like,comprising a member having a horizontal portion adapted to be secured tothe underside of a shelf or other support, an upright portion at one endof said horizontal portion, and a lateral projecting lip at the lowerend of said upright portion and extending over said horizontal portion,the edge of said lip being curved to conform enerally with the curvatureof the neck of the container to be opened, and the central portion ofsaid lip being spaced from said upright portion a distance less than thedistance between the outer side of the lower edge of the skirt of a capand the adjacent portion of the'neck of the container, and said lipbeing 'spaced from said horizontal portion a distance slightly greaterthan the height of the cap, whereby the cap may be easily removed fromthe container upon positioning the top of the container in engagementwith the underside of said flat portion of the device and with the loweredge of the cap held against the top side of the lip, and forcing thelower portion of the container outwardly, said upright portion byengagement of the side of the cap therewith serving as a guard toprevent the neck of the container striking the lip during removal of thecap.

3. A device for removing closure caps from jars, bottles, or the like,made from a single strip of metal and adapted to be secured to theunderside of a shelf or other support, comprising an upright portion anda laterally projecting lip at the lower end of said portion, the edge ofsaid lip being curved to conform generally to the curvature of the neckof the container to be opened and the ends of said lip being bentupwardly slightly whereby the cap may be removed from the container uponpositioning the container with the top of the cap engaging a flatsurface spaced from the upper side of said lip a distance slightlygreater than the height of the cap and with the lower edge of the skirtheld against the top side of the lip, and forcing the lower portion ofthe container outwardly, the upwardly bent ends of the lip engaging theunder edge of the cap so as to assist in holding the cap inproperengagement with the opener during the prying off operation.

LIVINGSTON M. SPEAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 55,878 Livermore June 26, 18662,094,203 Berkman Sept. 28, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date20,564 Great Britain of 1912

